There are those who like to say the NFL season doesn't begin until Thanksgiving Day.

The Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and several others wish that were true. Their seasons are done, playing out the string, waiting for 2017 with an eye on free agency and the draft.

They won't admit that's the case, but deep down they know it -- and so do their players. That's why when Sashi Brown, the Browns' executive vice president of football operations, came out last week and said it's not about wins and losses for his team this season, it shouldn't have been met with such shock.

Isn't that the truth?

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The Browns are being built for the long haul. I don't think they will win a game this season and will finish 0-16. That will hurt, but this is about the process, even if they have a long ways to go. With all the draft picks they've acquired, combined with a fiery head coach in Hue Jackson, they are doing it the right way -- although I probably would have drafted Carson Wentz.

The Browns are 32nd here in my latest NFL Power Rankings, and I expect them to stay there from start to finish.

The Jaguars, the other team I want to focus on down near the bottom, are a bit of a surprise being down at No. 30. Why? This was a trendy pick before the season to be a young team ready to take a big step forward.

Then the games started.

What we have seen is a team that looks anything like a contender at 2-8 -- even in a bad division. Their supposedly good players have regressed, led by quarterback Blake Bortles. They make a lot of mistakes, they look undisciplined at times and it's a certainty they will have a new coach next season as Gus Bradley is on his way out.

There were many out there -- me included -- who thought the Jaguars could win the AFC South. Now they'd do cartwheels if they got to six victories. This team hasn't improved at all.

The next coach will inherit a nice, young talent base. That's if he can fix Bortles and his issues. I would expect an offensive-minded coach to be the next hire, guys like New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Pittsburgh's Todd Haley will be considered.

Bradley was in a win-or-else situation this year, and the or-else is here.

Jackson isn't in that situation now. Patience is needed in Cleveland, but it doesn't comfort the fan base to hear that or see them at the bottom of Power Rankings every week. At least they still fight.

Biggest Movers
10 Buccaneers
5 Chiefs
Rk
Teams
  
Chg
Rcrd
1 Cowboys Dak Prescott showed against the Ravens that his staying as the starter was the right move. This team is riding high. -- 12-5-0
2 Patriots They won at San Francisco, but the defense still doesn't look right. They need to work out some kinks there. -- 4-13-0
3 Raiders They pulled it out Monday night against the Texans, but the defense had some issues. It needs to be better. 1 8-9-0
4 Broncos The question as they come out of their bye is whether their quarterback situation is good enough to win a Super Bowl. Do they go to Paxton Lynch? 1 8-9-0
5 Seahawks They are getting into playoff form. Isn't that what they do at this time of the year? 1 9-8-0
6 Giants They've won five straight games. But how good are they? They should make it six against Cleveland. 1 6-11-0
7 Falcons After their bye, they have to show they won't collapse again this season. I don't think they will. 1 7-10-0
8 Chiefs That was a bad hiccup at home losing to the Bucs. The defense has had issues the past month. 5 11-6-0
9 Lions At 6-4, they have a short week with the Vikings coming to town for a first-place battle in the NFC North on Thanksgiving. You can bet it will be a close one, since the Lions have yet to play in a game that wasn't decided by one score -- the first time that's happened in NFL history through 10 games. 1 12-5-0
10 Commanders Kirk Cousins was playing well, which was earning him respect. Did he really have to show up general manager Scot McCloughan? 1 4-13-0
11 Dolphins They are playing good football, winning five straight. They are definitely in the playoff race. 2 11-6-0
12 Texans They still lead the AFC South, which is all that matters. The defense played well against the Raiders, except for a few busts. 3 10-7-0
13 Vikings They snapped their losing streak by beating the Cardinals, but have no time to rest with a game at Detroit on Thanksgiving. 3 7-10-0
14 Ravens They battled at Dallas, but they didn't do enough on offense. Even so, they remain in first place in the AFC North. 2 13-4-0
15 Steelers They play a second road game in four days at Indianapolis. It's not a long trip, but they get a break without Andrew Luck likely playing. 3 10-7-0
16 Buccaneers At 5-5, they have surprised a lot of doubters. They are only a game out of first place, but here comes Seattle this week. 10 9-8-0
17 Eagles They didn't look good at Seattle, and now face a tough home game against the Packers, a desperate team. 3 11-6-0
18 Colts They've won two straight and have the look of a team ready to make a push to win the division but getting a win Thursday against the Steelers will be tough with Andrew Luck likely out. 4 9-8-0
19 Titans They just can't seem to find a way to win against the Colts. They're 0-2 against them, but get a break with Jay Cutler out this week for the Bears. 4 6-11-0
20 Chargers They come off their bye in a must-win game at Houston if they are to have any real playoff chance. 1 5-12-0
21 Bills They snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Bills, but they could be without LeSean McCoy this week. That will hurt. 4 11-6-0
22 Packers Can they it turn it around? It doesn't look like it with that defense. 5 9-8-0
23 Panthers That was a season-saving victory against the Saints. But they still have a lot of work to get back to the playoffs. 1 2-15-0
24 Bengals You have to think they will have a new coach next year. The 3-6-1 record is a major disappointment for a talented team. 1 9-8-0
25 Saints That was a tough loss last week at Carolina. They can't afford any more missteps. 5 9-8-0
26 Cardinals They are 4-5-1 and hardly look like the team they were a year ago. They are almost done. 5 4-13-0
27 Rams It was the right move to start Jared Goff, but they have to expect growing pains. Why not let him throw it more down the field? -- 10-7-0
28 Jets They come out of their bye with little hope of making a playoff run. So why not play young kid, especially at quarterback? Instead it's Ryan Fitzpatrick again. -- 7-10-0
29 Bears Injuries have crippled this team, but they battled at New York. That means they haven't quit. -- 7-10-0
30 Jaguars They make too many mistakes to win games, which has been a season-long problem. There is a young talent base for the next coach. -- 9-8-0
31 49ers They showed some fight against the Patriots, but they just don't have a lot of talent. -- 12-5-0
32 Browns They aren't winning a game this season. Take it to the bank. -- 11-6-0